Single Idea 23939

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / f. Emotion and reason]

Full Idea

The misunderstanding of passion and reason, as if the latter were an independent entity and not rather a system of relations between various passions and desires; and as if every passion did not possess its quantum of reason.

Gist of Idea

We fail to see that reason is a network of passions, and every passion contains some reason

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (The Will to Power (notebooks) [1888], §387)

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'The Will to Power', ed/tr. Kaufmann,W /Hollingdate,R [Vintage 1968], p.208


A Reaction

This seems to me a much more accurate account of the relation of reason and passion than almost anything in earlier philosophy (though Aristotle is quite good on it). I am retraining myself to see my mental life in this way.